Room 204 [afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Attention world: Ben Skywalker finally got his hair cut!

Newly shorn (not quite military short, but close) thanks to the people at the spa (where he rather vehemently turned down a massage, an eyebrow sculpting and a pedicure. The staff had discovered quickly how easy it was to make him blush), he was now back in his room tinkering with a couple of projects that he was thinking of turning into holiday gifts.

The door was wide open.

Comments

[solo_sword]

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. And mine's had some trouble there." Which was the safe way of putting it. "She causing trouble?"

[momslilassassin]

"What kind of trouble?" Ben asked.

[solo_sword]

"There was an incident back home... I don't think it's a problem for this Tahiri," she said, not wanting to freak him out with something she didn't see happening. "She's got a much better grip on all this than mine."

[momslilassassin]

"That is not the most reassuring thing I've ever heard," Ben told her flatly, curling his arms around his chest. "Tahiri's had a couple of blackouts when Riina's taken over."

[solo_sword]

Huh. "Recently?" she wondered. She hadn't talked to Tahiri in a while, and was sort of wondering whether she should be looking for something now.

[momslilassassin]

"Parents Weekend," Ben said. "Turns out it was astral for everyone."

[solo_sword]

Jaina knew she'd been plenty self-absorbed for the last month, but she had no idea how she'd missed that for two months. "What happened? Was anyone hurt?"

[momslilassassin]

He shook his head. "And that's the weird part. Riina came to Tara's defense or something and yelled at her family for being, well, kind of manipulating bastards."

He wasn't sure he'd want to get Riina's opinion on his own family, if it came down to it.

[solo_sword]

Jaina frowned. Not what she would have figured from the Yuuzhan Vong personality. "Riina did that? That... is weird, yes."

[momslilassassin]

"And being a Skywalker about it, I'd have to say that it shows that there's good in everyone, even Yuuzhan Vong, and it's good to know that there is something that Tahiri and she have in common," Ben said to his hands. "But I want Riina gone. And that is just never going to happen, huh."

[solo_sword]

"I don't know," Jaina said honestly. Her Tahiri hadn't exactly managed it, as far as she knew. "There's got to be some way to make i better, though. I have every faith in that."

[momslilassassin]

"She says it's not getting better," Ben said softly. "Not the way things are right now."

[solo_sword]

"She'll be all right," she said firmly. "She's Tahiri."

That really was reason enough for her to believe what she said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's snort was eloquent. "She's not the only Tahiri I know, and the other was far from all right."

[solo_sword]

"That Tahiri's got different experiences than this one, like this one's got different experiences than mine. That Tahiri has never been to Fandom, and doesn't know the same people, and maybe that's what makes all the difference." Enough time living in Fandom had given Jaina a bit of an interesting perspective here.

[momslilassassin]

"I hope so," Ben said with a little shiver. "Because it'd be...upsetting...if things worked out the same way."

It'd break his heart, really.

[solo_sword]

All Jaina knew of that was that Tahiri had ended up a Sith, but that wasn't really a path she wanted to see her go down either. "She's also got several people here who would smack her if she even though about it."

[momslilassassin]

"I get to be first in line," Ben said a little grimly. "Granddad can kriffing wait."

[solo_sword]

"I'd hold him back if he tried to cut," Jaina assured him.

Fun mental image.

[momslilassassin]

"Get holos if you succeed," Ben said, cracking a smile.

[solo_sword]

She smiled slightly, but asked, "And is there anything else I've missed in all this time?"

[momslilassassin]

"There was a thing with Karla," Ben said, "but I don't want to give you nightmares."

[solo_sword]

Jaina stared at him. "Go on a vacation. You need it."

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

[solo_sword]

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said. "Do it anyway. Look who this is coming from." She may have learned the value of taking breaks this summer, yes.